Written by: Alice Dartnell, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Do you often get to the end of the day thinking “where did the day go?”. Do you want to feel more in control of your time and discover how to make better use of your day. If so, do not skip this article.
In the dynamic landscape of entrepreneurship and leadership, one of the biggest skills you need is time management, and planning is one of the most important foundations of your time management success.
As Nicole M. Augustine explains in her Brainz article, Unlock The Power Of Quarterly Strategic Planning, planning is essential to success in both business and life. As entrepreneurs, we have to stay nimble regarding our professional success.
Being able to plan transforms your ‘one day’ aspirations into real tangible results. Planning is not just vital for big project plans. It is important for your daily and weekly planning too. Unfortunately, it is often easier said than done. Working with lots of CEOs, leaders and business owners and I often see falling into some common mistakes and pitfalls when it comes to their planning. In this article, I am going to share with you 5 common pitfalls when it comes to your daily planning and share strategies to overcome them, helping you reclaim control of your time, planning and goals.
1. Overplanning and micromanaging time
Over planning is a trap that can leave you feeling overwhelmed and stifled. Trying to meticulously account for every hour of your day and time slot in your calendar might seem like a great way to stay on track and maximise your precious time, but it results in unnecessary stress through micro-managing and too much rigidity.
Instead of overloading your calendar, strive for a balance between structure and flexibility. Don’t try to account for every hour of the day. Maybe try some time blocking too, so you have Monday morning for ‘project work’ or ‘client work’ but you don’t necessarily map it out completely until nearer the time.
2. Not including ‘white space’
Even for the best of planners and time management ninjas, nothing goes 100% to plan! As much as we want our schedules to run smoothly without glitches, the reality is that that meetings run longer than expected, technology glitches occur, the weird and unexpected arises. I wrote this article in Japan and in the last week alone I have had everything from my Instagram not working and throwing me off schedule with an important business launch, a typhoon interrupting our holiday plans and dealing with a flooded house! Annoying, but unexpected events are a fact of life.
Not allowing for white space or buffer time is a common pitfall that leaves us feeling even more ‘up against it’. Always start intentionally and include buffer time between tasks, appointments, and deadlines. For example, if you have an important project deadline on Friday, always aim to have everything wrapped up a few days earlier just in case the unexpected happens.
3. Thinking all times in the day are created equal
Time management is not just about structuring your day; it's also about understanding and optimising your energy levels. Imagine a car running at full speed without refuelling – eventually, it will run out of petrol and break down. Similarly, pushing yourself at full throttle all the time can lead to burnout and diminished productivity. I learnt this the hard way when I burnout in 2019.
Thanks to our inner ‘ultradian rhythm’, our energy naturally ebbs and flows throughout the day. This is why your energy at 11am is very different to your energy levels at 3pm. Everyone is different so it doesn’t always make sense to tackle the most demanding tasks first thing in the day like some people suggest. Personally, I think it makes more sense to tackle the most taxing tasks when best matches your own persona high energy moments and use low-energy ones for lighter tasks or brief breaks to recharge. Plan your days according to your energy and not just the time you have available.
4. Be realistic with time
In my experience as a life coach, one of the most common mistakes in time management is that we overestimate how much we can achieve in a given amount of time, and underestimate how long tasks really take! This leads us ultimately trying to plan too much in and leads to frustration, unfinished work and forever growing to-do lists.
When thinking about your day-to-day planning, also allocate appropriate time for each task, considering factors like preparation, transition time, micro-breaks, going from one meeting to another, and other interruptions.
And if you really want to start being accurate with this, one of the game-changing actions I get my clients to do is to complete a ‘time management audit’, aka time tracking and recording how long it actually takes to complete various tasks. This data will provide you with a more accurate understanding of how you use your time.
5. Forgetting to factor in breaks and the importance of rest
While it might seem counterintuitive, going all day without a break is actually going to reduce your overall productivity. Human brains and bodies aren't designed to operate at maximum capacity for extended periods without rest. Studies vary but show that the average person will naturally lose focus after about 40 – 50 minutes of work.
Neglecting breaks can lead to burnout, decreased focus, and a decline in the quality of your work, which ultimately is going to have a negative impact on your productivity and time! When planning your day, always incorporate short breaks throughout your day – whether it's a walk, a few minutes of deep breathing, or simply stepping away from your workspace to make a cup of tea or coffee.
In the fast-paced world of entrepreneurship and leadership, mastering the art of time management is crucial. Daily planning acts as the roadmap to achieve your goals and maximise the precious time you have!
As the American author on personal time management expert Allen Lakein said, ‘Failing to plan is planning to fail.’
Alice Dartnell, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Alice Dartnell is a time management and energy management coach, trainer, speaker, and author, who is passionate about empowering people to create a life by design, not by default! Known as an expert in time management and energy management, Alice doesn’t teach time management in the traditional sense. Instead, she focuses on importance of energy management and mindset as the way to improve time management. Alice believes that time management actually isn’t about managing time! Instead, it is about managing you, other people, your tasks and most importantly, your energy! She works with individuals on a 121 basis, as well as through programmes, workshops, and courses. Additionally, she delivers training to org
